


Dandelion Seeds

by TheShinyShovel



Series: Blythe in the Valley [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Stardrop Saloon (Stardew Valley)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-24 11:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30071859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShinyShovel/pseuds/TheShinyShovel
Summary: "The honeymoon phase of farm life had quickly faded and turned to seed like the first dandelions of spring." Blythe is struggling to process the fact that she's in charge of a whole farm now. Will she be able to work through her doubts?
Relationships: Demetrius/Robin (Stardew Valley), Maru & Female Player (Stardew Valley), Maru & Player (Stardew Valley), Robin & Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Blythe in the Valley [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205804
Kudos: 5





	1. invitation

Robin’s shop was just as cozy, if not cozier than Grandpa’s old house. The walls were made of solid wood logs, the floors were covered in thick carpets, and a woodstove in the shop quickly warmed the dampness Blythe picked up on her walk up the mountain to this place.

“How’s the farm-life going?” Robin asked, leaning on the counter of her shop, “Sorry I haven’t been able to stop by yet. Spring’s always really busy for me.”

“It’s good.” Blythe said, sitting down on one of the shop stools, “I’m just tired.”

“Well, rainy days are a good day to rest up.”

“But I’ve got so much to do.” Blythe said. That’s why she was here, after all. Marnie had suggested Blythe get started on building a chicken coop. Her grandfather used to have one, but he had sold all the chickens when he fell ill, and the chicken coop had been taken apart after he died. Marnie said there’d be lots of chicks at her ranch soon, so now was the right time to ask Robin if she could build a coop. But Blythe couldn’t bring herself to ask. Today was supposed to be only a planning session: find out how much it would cost and the materials needed. But Blythe couldn’t get herself to bring it up. So she didn’t.

“Well, at least you don’t have to water your crops today.” Maru said. She was a couple years younger than Blythe, and far more intelligent than Blythe knew she’d ever be. Before Blythe had barely had the chance to take off her rubber boots, Maru had dragged Blythe to her bedroom to show her her current projects. Robotics. Blythe had no idea what Maru was talking about, but the enthusiasm was contagious, and before Blythe knew it, she was grinning ear to ear and excitedly asking questions about what Maru was doing.

But the realization of how large Grandpa’s shoes were to fill was back, creeping up on Blythe from the shadows. The honeymoon phase of farm life had quickly faded and turned to seed like the first dandelions of spring. She squeezed her arms together over her chest in an effort to keep her from biting her nails in public.

“You could do some of the things you needed to do today, and then take a break.” Demetrius poked his head out of the lab.

“Oh, that reminds me.” Robin said, “It’s Friday. We always go to the Stardrop Saloon on Fridays for dinner and a little dancing. Why don’t you tag along with us?”

“That’d be fun!” Maru said.

Blythe gave the whole family a shocked expression. She barely knew these people, and they were inviting her to _dinner?_ Blythe couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a restaurant, let alone get invited somewhere that wasn’t an obligatory work function.

“Geez kid, you look like we invited you to swim with sharks or something!” Robin laughed.

“I…I’d like to come. Thanks.” Blythe cracked a smile. Perhaps it would help take her mind off of things.


	2. doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blythe goes to the Stardrop Saloon with Robin, Maru, and Demetrius. It's a busy night, and everyone wants to meet the new farmer.

She thought doing nothing until she joined the others at the saloon would make her thoughts worse, so Blythe stayed outdoors in the rain. She took several hours to clear stone away from the river, filling her wheelbarrow and dumping them into a growing pile of rock. The work was hard, and Blythe’s arms ached, but at least it made her too tired to think too much about her worries. Where did all this rock come from anyway? There was a pickaxe in the shed, and perhaps when more land had been cleared, she could use it to start making little cobblestone paths around the farm. That would make the mud and weeds easier to manage.

But as soon as Blythe headed back inside the house to wash up and change into something that wasn’t soaked with rainwater and mud, the thoughts came back. From what her mother used to tell her, Grandpa Martin was a workhorse—out of the house before dawn and never back before dark. Blythe had tried to be like that. She really did. Or rather, Blythe had been forced into it. She pushed herself in university until she’d snap, push herself at whatever job she could get until her mask cracked. Her career with Joja had been the job she’d kept the longest, and she hadn’t even been there for _that_ long. But it had all come tumbling down when she discovered Grandpa’s letter. Then again, she was most definitely going to have a meltdown in the Joja office sooner or later. At least she quit of her own accord this time.

If Blythe couldn’t handle being an office worker at Joja, how was she going to keep Sweet River Farm from falling apart?

Thankfully, it had stopped raining by the time Blythe left the house again. The rich and warm aroma of garlicky tomato sauce quickly filled Blythe’s nose as she stepped into the Stardrop Saloon. Blythe expected to hear people talking and laughing too, but they weren’t. As soon as everyone heard the jingle of the bell above the door, they all turned their heads and _stared_ at her.

Blythe gulped. For a moment, all she could hear was some twangy tune playing from the jukebox in the back corner of the saloon. She didn’t recognize the song.

“You’re the new farmer?” A moustached man behind the counter said, “It’s good to see you!”

“Blythe! We’re over here!” Maru waved to her from a booth near the saloon hearth.

Blythe smiled and nodded to the man, but she quickly made her way over to Maru’s family, or at least most of them.

“Sebby’s with his friends over in the arcade.” Robin sighed, “I told you were joining us tonight but…” Robin sighed, rubbing her temples. Clearly something was going on here, and after seeing what transpired between her mother’s childhood friend and Lewis, Blythe didn’t want to get involved. Thankfully, she didn’t have to. A young woman with shockingly blue hair approached the table.

“Hi you guys! Can I take your order?”

“Yes, I think we’re good.” Demetrius said. After they all ordered their food, Demetrius spoke again, “Oh, by the way…Blythe, this is Emily. Have you two met yet?”

Blythe shook her head.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you! You have a nice aura.” Emily grinned from ear to ear.

“I have a nice what?!” Blythe said as Emily left their table.

“Don’t mind Emily,” Demetrius said, “I promise she’s very nice.”

“Yeah,” Maru added, shrugging “None of that aura stuff is real though. No scientific research could ever prove something like that exists.”

While they waited for their food, other folks came over to the table to introduce themselves. All of them knew Grandpa or Mum in some way that Blythe didn’t. Like how Grandpa taught so-and-so how to ride a pony when she was little. Or how Mum used to sing in the high school choir (Blythe didn’t know she could sing). Story after story, and words that were supposed to be encouraging but actually weren’t (“You’ve got big shoes to fill, kid.” “That farm’s gonna need a lot of work.”). Blythe could feel the dread crawling up from the bottom of her feet and the familiar sting in her eyes. She was twisting her fingers and joints in her hands even though it hurt, and she’d already torn apart the paper napkin that was once wrapped around the silverware. That damn music was getting twangier by the second.

“Hey, um, you alright?” Maru gave Blythe a small nudge after person number five.

“I have to go.” Blythe fumbled around for her wallet and placed some gold on the table. She didn’t look back as she ran out of the Stardrop Saloon.


	3. raining again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blythe isn't having a good evening, but thankfully she doesn't have to deal with it all alone.

_whyamilikethiswhyamilikethiswhyamilikethis!! WHY!!_ Blythe rocked back and forth and sobbed to herself in the corner of Mum’s childhood bedroom. She normally slept in Grandpa’s old bedroom because it was larger and she could see the sun rise from the windows. But she didn’t want to think about her grandfather right now. Blythe was not like him. She was not like her mother. She didn’t know how to be a farmer, she was scared of birds, and she didn’t know how she was going to ever get Sweet River cleared up! She could barely keep up in an office job before this, and now she was responsible for a whole-ass farm!

Grandpa was wrong about Blythe. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t do it. She-

“Blythe? I’m letting myself in. It’s uh, raining again.” The door to the small cottage opened. Someone turned on a light in the kitchen and Blythe could hear something being set on the kitchen table. Footsteps, and then the door opened.

“Oh honey.” Robin mumbled, walking over to the corner of the empty room Blythe was sitting in. Blythe didn’t look up at her, but she could feel Robin sit down next to her. “I’m sorry. I should’ve cut them off.”

“It’s okay.” Blythe sniffled.

“Can I give you a hug? I know last time I scared the beyoba outta ya, but—”

Fresh tears welled up in Blythe’s eyes as she leaned into Robin. Robin froze for a second, and then hugged her back tightly. Blythe felt immature, being held like a child, but honestly, she didn’t care. If a mother-figure was offering to hold her like this, Blythe was going to take it. They sat on the floor like this for awhile.

“I can’t do the farm. I’m not like Martin.” Blythe said after her couldn’t cry anymore.

“I can’t imagine he expected you to run Sweet River just as he did.” Robin gently let go of Blythe, but still kept a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah.” Blythe said, bringing her knees up to her chest again. “Also, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Robin said, seemingly bewildered.

“You guys’ve been so nice to me, but I just ran off from the saloon like that. It’s just…” Blythe wasn’t sure if she was quite comfortable sharing that information right now, despite the fact that she had just bawled on Robin’s shoulder. Most people didn’t understand, at least in her experience. So she only shared part of it. “I uh, get really overwhelmed sometimes.”

Robin smiled “Honestly, if a bunch of strangers started reminiscing about my dead loved ones and how much work the farm was going to be, I’d be overwhelmed too.”

Blythe smiled back. The two of them sat in silence for a beat.

Robin cleared her throat. “Well…you left before you could get your food. Gus packed it up for you before I came here. It’s on the kitchen counter. Also, he said it was on the house, being your first time there n’ all. Your money’s out in the kitchen too.”

“Oh yoba, he didn’t have to do that.” Blythe said as she got up from the floor.

“He didn’t, but he wanted to.” Robin got up from the floor as well. “That’s just what folks around here do.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Anyway...are you alright now?” Robin said, her voice a little softer this time.

“Yeah, I think so.”

She smiled “Good. I’ve got to head home now, but call or stop by anytime, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good-night, Blythe.”

“You too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment if you liked it! :)


End file.
